Zawaya

The Sahel: Skills to eliminate dependency, while terrorism remains a threat

By: Adel Rochdy

The African Sahel, which consists of the sub-Saharan band from Senegal to Ethiopia, is suffering from drought, rampant desertification and a recurrent threat of famine. The causes of this alarming situation are both objective and subjective.

Socioeconomic conditions vary from one country to another in the region, and worsen from the west to the east.

Agriculture is mainly rainfed, and thus poorly irrigated. The fields depend on the weather, while global warming does not herald a better future.

In addition, the communication network is weak, road infrastructure inadequate, and exchange rates are low, despite efforts deployed since independence, mainly by non-governmental organizations and civil society. Within the latter, farmers’ associations are increasingly taking over certain roles from the leaders, in order to provide solutions that are sometimes successful, especially in countries where freedom of expression and action are apparent.

What can Maghreb states, which also belong to Africa, do to help the Sahel countries find lasting solutions?

The relations of the Maghreb with Africa received a boost starting from the 90s. The Maghreb established cooperation agreements, initiating a relationship system that was not always aiming for win-win situations.

Under Kadhafi, Libya invested a large amount of money in Africa in order to promote political propaganda for the former dictator, rather than to assist the peoples of the Sahel region. For the sake of solidarity and “socialism”, Algeria confined itself to merely diplomatic relations, and occasional military ones.

As for Morocco and Tunisia, they chose a form of cooperation that is mainly focused on the service sector.

In fact, Africa needs investment in promising fields in the short, medium and long terms, revolving around three major areas: agriculture, health and education. The Sahel is in dire need of funds, which are lacking in Morocco and Tunisia.

However, the phenomenon has been reversed, as Africa now seeks expertise in the Maghreb. In the last two decades, many African students enrolled at Tunisian and Moroccan universities and institutes.

As a result, ideas exist, but material means are lacking. Even if Africa improves its human resources, it will still lack financial resources, due to poor governance that is unfortunately a hallmark of the continent.

The problem of the African Sahel is not limited to development. Successive failures fueled an alarming despair that turned this area – or at least a part of this region – into a hotbed of fanatical terrorism.

For many young people, poverty is “permanently” entrenched in Africa, and guns and communitarianism are the only solutions. For Al-Qaeda, this vast, miserable and weak area is an ideal breeding ground for chaos.

Cooperation is needed on this front, but the Sahel will keep wasting time in the meanwhile.